Hollywood knitters – Crafting in the movies

To celebrate vintage knits, we’ve found some Hollywood icons with their WIPs in their films – and in between takes!

Ginger Rogers & Fred Astaire – Shall We Dance? (1937)

Peter P. Peters and Linda Keene get involved in a love triangle more tangled than a ball of yarn. Fred and Ginger play this lovely couple in this hilarious musical comedy.

Susan Hayward – Between scenes on the set of The Lost Moment (1947)

Those double pointed needles look lethal in the hands of Susan Hayward, playing Tina, a psychotic character in cahoots with her co-star Robert Cummings to trick an old lady out of some old poetry. Or perhaps she’s just knitting some socks?

Cary Grant – Mr Lucky (1943)

Ah yes Cary, – in, around, under and through – he’ll get the hang of it eventually! We’re not exactly sure why Cary Grant is knitting in a film about a grifter trying to avoid the army draft – but if you’ve seen it, tell us all about it in the comments below!

Tom Drake & Betty Garrett – On the set of Words and Music (1948)

The lovely Betty Garrett looks like she’s knitting the back of a jumper on the set of Words and Music, a film about the creative partnership of Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart. There must have been lots of time for knitting whilst they recorded all those song and dance scenes!

Angela Lansbury & her mother Moyna Macgill – On the set of The Harvey Girls (1946)

Knitting is so often a mother and daughter hobby – just look at their faces! I wonder if Angela was about to knit a double yarnover or SSSK? Or is that a counting face?

Marilyn Monroe & Yves Montand – Let’s Make Love (1960)

This looks like a cosy scarf on nice big needles! Yves Montand didn’t speak any English when this film was made, but perhaps he spoke the language of yarn? He’s certainly got a lovely chunky cardigan on!

Have you seen these films? Who is your favourite Hollywood knitter? Share yours in the comments below!